Safety device for railroad switches



Oct. 18, 1927- c. .GOOGE E AL SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES Filed March 12. 1926 June/mi 014, I

Stratum.

Patented Oct. 18,1927.

' UNITED, STATES 1546,28? PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES GOOGE AND HENRY LINDSEY, OF CORINTH; MISSI SSIPP I.

- SAFETY DEVIC FOR AIL OAD SWITCHES.

Application filed March 12, 1926, SerialNo. 94,254.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawing. of which: 7

Figure l is a'top plan View of a railroad switch with the safety device installed thereon;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1; I i v Figure4'is a top plan view of the cam actuator. V

Figure 5 illustrates an end ele'vational view of a switch showingthe operating rods in assembled relationship therein.

The safety device may be installed on-any existing form of'switch and is adapted to operate independently of the switch. The mainline of a railroad is indicated at 1. while a sidin 2 is shown as being adapted V to be connected therewith by meansiofa switch.

The switch is constructed in the usual manner and has customary switch ties 3, bridle rod 4 and switch stand 5. It is understood, of course, that the rails are secured to the ties in any preferred and usual manner and that any conventional form of switch may be used.

The safety device proper comprises a bar of iron or other material 6 having the center thereof formed with an offset portion 7. This bar or strap fastens to the ties on each end and is so arranged that the offset portion 7 comes under the bridle'rod 4:. The bar is adapted to lie along side of the rail. Superimposed upon the bar 6 is a bar 8 but not provided with an offset portion. The bars 6 and 8 are each provided with aligned openings located slightly inwardly of the switch ties 3. The bar 8 also is provided with an opening at its central portion. the purpose of which will be later explained.

A bar 9 of shorter length than the bars 6 and 8 is superimposed thereon "but "is spaced therefrom by the'nuts or washers 10 and 11. The central part of this bar hasan opening corresponding to and'in'" alignment with the opening in the bar 8 e A headed pin 12 is adapted to pass through the openings inthe bars 9 and 8 ang]. also-through anopening in the bridle Arranged above the bar 9 .is a bar 13. The bars 9 and 18 are provided with'openlngs corresponding to the openings in the bars 6 and 8 above mentioned. Through the right hand set of these openings a bolt 14 is passed while through the left handset of openings a slidable bolt 15 is passed. The

bolts 14 and 15 alsopass through the nuts or washers 10 and 11. i

An L-shaped rod 16 has the short end "17 thereof extendingvertically through the bars adjacent to the bolt 15 and has the end of the long arm thereof connected to the bolt 14. 'A coil spring 18 is arranged between the end of the long arm of the member 16. and the bottom of the bar 6;

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that if the pin15 is'r aised, that the bar 9 will be. elevated because of the nut 10 and that the pin 12 will likewise be raised outof engagement withthe opening in the bridle rod 4:. -'When the pin 15;is allowed to fall downwardlyto its original position, the spring18, will tend to return all the parts'to their normal relation. -A re-, silient Inember18 may be located in operative relationship with the portion 17 of the device, if so desired, to aid the spring 18 in returning the switch elements to normal position. In order' to provide an easy and efficient means for elevating the pin 15, a cam 19 is movably connected with the tie so as to engage the bottom end of the pin. This cam is connected by a link 20 to a substantially U-shaped operating rod 21 which is adapted to be rotated in bearings 22 and 23;

It will thus be seen that when the switch has been thrown and the pin 12 engaged in the opening in the bridle 1-0014,- that it will be impossible, though the switch stand 5 is knocked down, to. throw the switch until the pin 12 is again withdrawn from the bridle rod.

In connection with the operation of the device, it may be stated that bolts 14 and 15 are adapted to carry ground nut elements 10 and 11, and the diameters of the bolts w th a wh ll unct on n re urn t 1 device functions to operate freely. That is,

pin 12 into inter-hooked relationship with thebridle. bar 411. 1 Obviously, by making the bolts muchsmaller than the openings thr ug he rs n w i h ey p r e the single; cam element 19 functions, accord ing to this invention to liftthe bar 9 near one end; thereof and at the same time the other end of the bar 9 will. also, be allowed} to rise: owing to the fact that the shank of bolt 14 is of smaller. diameter than the opening through which it extends in bar 9. Thecam element 19; may be made from any. suitable material, such as an; iron bar, and formed having a portion adapted; to contact with raising pin 15 when desired. The cam is preferably provided with an opening for receiving the link 20 and there is also another opening in the cam through which it may bepivotally connected to a switch tic. Obviously, when the .link element 2 0 is. pulled, a portion of the cam comes in contact with and lifts the pin 15, thereby func-,

tioning to "raise the locking pin '12- from the bridle rod 4.

t The invention is susce Jtible of various modifications and 'adapta lon-s within the scope of the appended: claims.

' Having thus fully described our invention, we claim:

1. A safety device for railroad: switchescomprising a; slidable shielded pin adapted to engage an opening in the. switch bridle rod, means for movlng said pin lnto engagement with said opening, and means for moving said pin out of engagement with said opening.

2. A safety comprising a slidable pin adapted to engage device for railroad switches.

an openingin the switch bridle rod, means for automatically moving said pin into en e s ment W th; a p ng in 'p edet fr' mined position of the bridldrod, and means operating independently of the switch for mov ng said pin. out of engagement with said opening to allow the switch to be operated. n

3'. The combination with a railroad switch and the bridle rod therefor, of a safety device comprising slidahle pin adapted to engage an opening in said bridle; rod means for automatically moving said pin into engagement with said' opening in a predetermined position of the bridle rod, and cam 1 mined position of the bridle; rod to} retain said switch andbridle rod in locked posie tion, cam means operating independently of the operation of the switch for moving said pin out of engagement with said openingto,

allow said switch to1 be operated, and means for movingsaidcarnmeans. 1

In testimony whereof they affix their sig-.

natures. I

enemas cocoa LINDSEY. 

